Monday Update

Welcome back to the drill!! Hope you all had wonderful Thanksgiving Holidays! I was all set to publish an update last Wed. afternoon and it wouldnt upload. Oh well. I'll hit 3 consecutive updates someday. ;-) On with the show.

Monday Random Thoughts

-The Dodgers still dont have a manager. It used to be managing the Dodgers was like THE job to have in the NL. Now, almost everyone they have approached has ran for the hills. Could it be because of their incompetent, money grubbing owner?? hmmm

-So after losing 91 games last season, the Dodgers did what any other team would do in that situation. Get better players? Nope. Offer some sort of thanks to fans for sticking with the team? Nope. They raised ticket prices for the second straight year and the average price of a Dodgers ticket topped $20 for the first time ever. What is with this ownership? How about waiting a year before you raise prices again.

-It wouldnt be so bad if they were raising prices for, say paying for a better team. But by all accounts, owner Frank McCourt is trimming payroll to $75 million for next season. Far below the $100 million plus he guaranteed would be payroll as long as he was owner. The bad news just keeps coming for the faithful followers of the Blue. :-(

RIP Mr. Miyagi

-Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, best known for his role as a martial arts sensei in "The Karate Kid" died over the Thanksgiving weekend. He was 73. Morita played the wise Kesuke Miyagi in four "The Karate Kid" movies and their sequels. The last one "The Next Karate Kid", was released in 1994 and featured a young Hilary Swank. Morita is survived by his wife and three daughters from a previous marraige. Sayonara sensei, you were one of a kind and you will forever live in the hearts of many other 80's kids that watched you teach Ralph Macchio how to whup some Cobra Kai ass. May you rest in peace.

-Went to Disneyland on Friday and all the horror stories of a overcrowded park are true! I'll have more of a Disneyland update tommorrow, but just know that the days of "slow" time @ Disneyland are LONG gone.

 

Weekend Box Office Report

1) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $54.7 million: The Goblet is still overflowin! OK, sorry for that. Seriously, this movie continues to outpace estimates. Its already on track to be the highest grossing Harry Potter film to date. In its 10 days of release the movie has taken in an amazing $201 million in the US alone. As the critics continue to praise it, the people keep flocking to the theatre to see it. With only "Aeon Flux" opening this weekend, this film should continue to rake in the cash for another week.

2) Walk the Line, $19.2 million: Holding steady at number 2 for the second week in a row, the Johnny Cash bio-pic is getting some great word of mouth. Should help its Oscar hopes and make it into a blockbuster soon enough.

3) Yours, Mine and Ours, $17.4 million: One of the weekends new films, did respectable considering the competition. This is a remake of an old Lucille Ball movie and its opening was pretty much in line with studio estimates. Lets see how big the drop off is in week 2.

4) Chicken Little, $12.5 million: Still holding strong, now almost a month later. "Chicken Little" has become Disney's first real animated hit since "Lilo and Stitch". I was able to catch this film in 3D over the weekend and it was great. If you havent seen it already, check it out. If you have seen it, but only in regular theatres, I highly recommend the 3D version. Disney did a great job with the format and I hope they continue to release films using this technology.

5) Rent, $10.0 million: Based on the hit musical of the same name. This movie opened far below what studio insiders were hoping. I'm guessing fans of the musicaldont want their version ruined by a movie. There's people out there that swear "Rent" is like the greatest thing ever and will tear you a new one should u dare talk about it. I'm guessing the movie makers were hoping some of those diehards would come in and give the movie a try. So far, it hasnt panned out that way.

 

Well, a quick update today. Hope you enjoyed. Remember that all feedback is appreciated. Hit the comment box below or email me @ DougE825@aol.com. Til the next time

DQ

Taboo Tuesday

 

Welcome back to the Two Minute Drill. Remember, when news breaks...we fix it!! ;-)

360 degrees of Gaming

So today is the day that millions of gamers in the US have been waiting for: The launch of the Xbox 360.

Sleek

 

This bad boy cranks out the most realistic looking graphics to date and is specifically designed to be an intregal part of your home entertainment center. All for the low-low price of $299 for a base unit and $399 for the advanced unit.

What does the Xbox 360 do you ask? Well, it plays games, movies, music and can even display your digital photos. Not only that, the Xbox 360 also can turn back the clock, do your taxes and solve all of your life's problems. ;-) Seriously, what happened to just "It plays kick ass games?"

(Warning, rant session ahead)

As technology increases, obviously our tastes change. Many tech freaks out there want the latest and greatest when they buy their systems right? But it seems that nowadays the video game console makers are going more for the "awe" factor than actually giving you a satisifying experience. Dont get me wrong, its cool when you're playing a game and it totally engrosses you with its detail. But even if the game is pretty and all, what if the game itself sucks? Graphics arent everything and I think I'm finally understanding that.

I see the Xbox 360 and I see that most of the games that are coming out are just ports of the games that are available on current systems. Sure they've been spiffied up and given more substance, but its still the same game you can play on a regular Xbox.

Now, I've been a gamer since I first picked up that old Atari joystick back in the day and playedmy first game of Mario Bros. I've been hooked to games ever since. But my love for games has been strictly for Nintendo systems. From the original NES, to the Super NES. The N64 and finally the Gamecube, I've been a Nintendo "fanboy" all my life. I know that puts in me in the minority, but I could care less. For me, its all about the games and I have yet to be disappointed with the Big N.

Thats not to say that I dont give props, where props are due. I think the "Halo" series is awesome and the "G.T.A." franchise is alot of fun, albeit controversial. But given a choice, I'd much rather be en engrossed in a game like "The Legend of Zelda" than shoot up hookers in a game like "G.T.A.".

Its all about the games. Think back to when you were a kid and all you had was the 8-bit NES. When you were playing a game like "Contra" did you care that the bad guys didnt look or move realistically? Or that the physics of the game were just unreal? NO! All you thought about was "Wow, this game is fun to play!" I think that the game makers are starting to lose sight of that. Of course we the public are to blame for that as well. The so called "hardcore" gamers demand better graphics and better sound and more extras and junk otherwise they wont give the game a second look.

Consider a game like "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker". When "Zelda" was first announced for the Gamecube back in 2000, it was introduced as a realistic dark game. The critics loved it, just because it looked realistic.

 Link from the Legend of Zelda how he looked in the first demo for a "Gamecube Zelda" back in 2000.

Then Nintendo decided to change the look of the game and went with a cartoony "cell shade" look.

Link after his redesign for "The Wind Waker"

The critics blasted this game because it made the "Zelda" franchise into an almost Looney Tunes-esque farce. Yet, when you actually sit down and play it, the core of the series is still there. Its still a blast to play, even if it did look like a kiddy game.

 Next year, Nintendo will finally give us that realistic looking "Zelda" game. Its titled "The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess" and the critics are already singing its praises.

2006 Link

Is it because it looks realistic? Or is it because the game plays well?

I just hope that as technology increases and "realisim" takes over the graphics dept, they (the game makers) dont lose sight of one thing: Its the games, stupid.

Next year in the Spring Sony's PS3 (With its price tag of anywhere between $400-$700 if you believe the rumors) will be hitting the stores and a little later after that the Nintendo Revolution.

The Mighty P$3..i mean PS3. ;-)

Nintendo's "Revolution"

 

We'll see just how well these two systems differentiate themselves from Microsofts 360 machine. One thing is for certain. The days of simply picking up a controller and having simple fun are long gone. Its all about framerates and bit counts and what not. What will the next evolution of game systems bring us? I guess we'll find out in about 5 years when Microsoft releases the Xbox 720, Sony releases the PS4 (now with nuclear reactor) and Nintendo hits us with the Super Revolution.

 

OK, sorry for the rant. Thanx again for reading. Til the next time...

DQ

Monday Update

 

Hello everyone and welcome back to the "Drill". Its Thanksgiving Week and I'm sure alot of you are counting down til the long weekend. I know I can't wait! On with the show...

 

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!: Christmas Time @ Disneyland

Well, its time. Another Holiday Season is upon us and Disneyland has returned to its full Christmas glory. With the "Christmas Fantasy" parade making its season premier this past Friday, everything is now in full swing at the resort. Here are some pics:

(Following photos all courtesy of "Dark Beer")

The World Famous Disneyland Xmas Tree. This year its all gold n white.

The tree at night. Geez, look at that crowd!!!

California Adventure is getting into the spirt too. The entrance letters get the "candy cane" treatment.

DCA finally gets its own Xmas tree...

..complete with Tinkerbell topper

The tree at night.

Santa gets a new ride in the "Christmas Fantasy" parade.  (photo courtesy of Mouseplanet)

 

As reported last week, Disneyland is facing a huge staffing crunch at  the worst time possible. The problem is that the resort is losing far more employees than it can replace. Disneyland HR is doing everything in its power to try to shore up the staff levels. There's been aggressive recruiting all around the area and in the theme parks themselves. They are even contacting former cast members to see if they have any interest in returning. Things are so bad that now cast members are no longer guaranteed days off or even personalized schedules. All employees are basically being forced to work whatever hours they need them. you might be saying "Who cares?" right? But think about it this way: If you've been working like 6-7 days straight with OT and no days off against your own will, just how well are you going to be treating those you interact with? Or how motivated are you going to be to do everything right? They're running these poor workers ragged and now its affecting the overall running of the park as well. Several shops are no longer open all day and some may even be closed on "slow" days. There's no end in sight to the shortage either, so for those of you planning on visiting the parks in the coming weeks, exercise patience and remember that the frazzled cast member in front of you has probably been working non-stop since Halloween. ;-)

 

Weekend Box Office Report

Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman and Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

 

1) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $101.4 Million: WOW!!!! This opening is huge on so many levels. Its the highest opening for a "Harry Potter" film to date. Its the fourth highest three day opening ever (Spider-Man opened to $114 million back in 2002. Shrek 2 and Star Wars: Episode III both took in $108 million for their three day opening) and the highest opening for a movie opening in November. WB was expecting something in between $85-$95 million so to say they're "pleased" with this opening is an understatement. There was concern that the Harry Potter franchise was starting to fizzle as each film has grossed less than the last, but this puts the franchise right back on track. This opening also helped Hollywood break out of its box office slump it had been experiencing lately. We'll see how week number 2 plays out.

2)Walk the Line, $22.4 million: Considering the competition this one had, $22 million isnt bad. The Johnny Cash bio-pic has many people talking Oscar. Joaquin Phoenix is being praised for his portrayal of Cash. Next week will probably be a better indicator of how well this film will do. Everyone's Harry Potter hang over will have worn off by then. ;-)

3) Chicken Little, $14.7 million: The little film that could. Well, not "little" really considering how much it cost to make. Yet, nobody thought it would be practically on the cusp of breaking the $100 million mark at this time. Heck, it might have already gone over by the time you read this. Disney Animation finally has a blockbuster, although not a mega one like "Shrek" or any of the recent Pixar films. Still, its a start and it at least shows they're on the right track.

4)Derailed, $6.5 million: Jennifer Anniston was just named GQ's first ever "Woman of the Year." Crazy. Oh and her film isnt doing too bad at the box office either. Its been a "mild" success so far. Still, it wont hang around much longer unless word of mouth saves it.

5) Zathura, $5.1 million: This was the film that was supposed to give "Goblet of Fire" a run for its money. Instead its sinking fast and audiences arent really giving it a second thought. Which is too bad, because according to the critics its a great film. And the guy from "Punk'd" is in it! I didnt even know those guys had a life after they were done with the show. ;-)

 

The Lakers lost to the Clippers last Friday, showing once again that the balance of power may be shifting as far as LA basketball is concerned. Funny to see how many Clippers fans are coming out of the woodwork now that they're team is respectable. Congrads to them, their long suffering fans deserve a chance to cheer for once. Alot of people are still waiting for the bottom to fall out on this team. Its not how well you start, but how well you finish the season that counts. So far though, this young team has hung in there.

OK, thats all for now. Hope you all had great weekends. Til the next time.

DQ

Taboo Tuesday

Hello again and welcome back to the drill!! A rare back to back update I guess you can call it. Hopefully it becomes a normal occurrence. Lets get started shall we?

 

More Thoughts on Eddie Guerrero

WWE Stars watch a video tribute to Eddie Guerrero on RAW

Last night on RAW the superstars of the WWE paid tribute to their fallen friend and brother in the ring. It was an emotional night full of dedication matches and testimonials about the life of a truly great man.

Eddie's ride

The show began with the entire roster standing on the stage. A tricked out Low Rider (A Eddie Guerrero signature) was propped up next to the stage. After some words from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon they held a "10 bell salute". A memorial video package was then shown and afterwards there was not a dry eye in the arena. (or at home for that matter).

A fan pays tribute to Eddie

Throughout the night superstar after superstar paid tribute to Eddie and they showed clips of some of his career highlights. Perhaps the most emotional testimonial of the night was from Eddie's nephew Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Chavo talked about how yes, technically Eddie was his uncle, but he considered him more of a brother. Chavo struggled to remain composed throughout the entire interview.

WWE Champ John Cena made this makeshift shrine for Eddie at the close of the show.

All in all, it was a fitting tribute to a man that touched so many lives in the industry. Knowing that he was a Man of Faith, I know that he is in a better place now. Eddie was a great man and as long as we fans always remember him and remember his greatness he will never be forgotten.

 

Dodger Blues

What a horrible time to be a Dodgers fan. The team finished in 4th place in 2005 and lost 91 games! It was the 2nd worst loss total in LA franchise history. But that was nothing compared to the turmoil that was coming in the offseason. Manager Jim Tracy was fired two days after the season ended. General Manager Paul Depodesta cited differences in managing philosophies as being the main reason behind the move. Then, two weeks later as Depodesta was in the midst of finding a manager to replace Tracy, owner Frank McCourt stunned everyone by firing Depodesta! So much turmoil and upheaval in this once proud organization that its making even the most hardcore fan cringe. And to think, 2005 started off a high note when the team had the best April in almost 50 years. Then the injuries started mounting and the team seemingly imploded. From 1st to 4th in a span of 3 months. Well, with the search for a new GM under way Dodgers fans are on pins and needles waiting to see who will be the next person to try to build this team into a contender. Dodger Nation has their fingers crossed. Its been 16 years since we last held a late October party in Los Angeles. Its time for this team to reclaim its proper spot in the upper ranks of baseball. The Dodgers were once of the most storied franchises in the game. Only the Yankees have a richer history than the Dodgers. Its time for the McCourt family to get serious about winning once and for all and put people who actually know what they are doing in charge of running the team. The fans of LA wont stand for another 91 loss and if they arent serious about winning, the fans will stop coming. Simple as that.

 

Random Thought
The Clippers have a better record than the Lakers?! Be afraid people..be very afraid. ;-) In all seriousness, I've always said the Clippers were a good team, they just needed a good coach to get make this young team gel and work hard. It seems like they have finally found that coach in Mike Dunleavy. Can this young team keep up the winning? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Well, thats all for now. As always, thank you for reading and see you next time.

DQ

Monday Update

Greetings one and all! It is I, the worlds biggest procrastinator!! Apologies all around for the delays. I've got a pretty big update for you all today, so hopefully its worth the wait. Enjoy

 

Thoughts on Eddie Guerrero's Passing

So last night I'm minding my own business at home, watching "Punk'd" when I get a shocking txt message on my cellphone from a friend. "Did you hear Eddie Guerrero died?". My first reaction was that it was some sort of mistake. Eddie dead? No way. We had all just seen him live a few weeks ago at the Staples Center and I had just seen him on TV on Friday Night Smackdown two days earlier. I responded to the message asking for clarfication and confirmation. When I got the response with the confirmation I was FLOORED. Eddie Guerrero..Latino Heat...Mr. Lie.Cheat.Steal..Gone. One of the most entertaining and gifted athletes in the WWE was gone. I immeadiatley began to think the worst. That he had once again succumbed to the demons that he had battled all his life and that they were responsible for his death. I hoped to God that it wasnt true. Eddie was a hero to so many latino fans that the thought of him dying because of something stupid was too much to bear. I then began to think about his family. His wife and their two daughters. His mom and his dad who is the patriarch of the Guerrero Family Dynasty. I began to think about all the great Eddie moments from the past: His flair for the dramatic, for the entertaining, "The Eddie Shimmy", Latino Heat, Lie,Cheat, Steal. I couldnt believe we wouldnt be hearing those words again. One of my favorite wrestlers was gone and cut down in the prime of his life.

Finally becoming WWE Champ (2/04)

Today, as word begins to spread out, millions of wrestling fans around the world mourn the loss of Eduardo Gory Guerrero. May God Bless his soul and his family.

Wrestlemania XX

I will never forget Wrestlemania XX when he and Chris Benoit celebrated in the middle of the ring. Both men had been told all their careers they couldnt carry a company. And yet there they stood. Arms raised. Both men champions and at the top of the ladder.

Latino Heat forever

Eddie, you were the man. You brought me and many other fans around the world to our feet each and every week. I'm thankful to have been able to see you do your thing live. RIP Latino Heat. We will all miss you.

 

 

It Begins...Holiday Time @ Disneyland

As reported here a few weeks ago, the Holiday's at Disneyland are going to be JAMMED. Want proof? How about last Friday when the gates at Disneyland actually were CLOSED throughout the day because of overcrowding! Last Friday marked the return of the Christmas decorations and fireworks and such and everyone seemingly wanted to be there!

This notice greeted visitors on Friday (photo courtesy of Mouseplanet)

This past weekend also saw record numbers, but the gates werent closed. This is only the begining kids. This upcoming Friday marks the return of the "A Christmas Fantasy" parade so crowds should be big for that one also. Add to this the fact that Disneyland is actually having HUGE staffing problems and it's not going to be pretty down in Anahiem.

Gridlock on Main St. for the snow (photo courtsey of Mouseplanet)

If you are one of those lucky ones to go, please be patient. Yes its going to be crowded and lines may be moving slower because of the staff shortages. But those hard working cast members that are actually there will be doing their best to make your experience a good one. Besides, how could you be angry at the Happiest Place on Earth?! ;-)

Weekend Box Office Report

1) Chicken Little, $32.0 Mil: This Chicken's got legs. (Feel free to roll your eyes.) In all seriousness, this one has a good shot of breaking the $100 million mark and has done wonders for Disney Animation. Is it a GREAT film? No. But it is a good one and will definetly keep you entertained for the 77min it runs. Chicken Little's showing should do wonders for Disney's negotations ith Pixar. It gives them SOME leverage at least.

2)Zathura, $14.0 Mil: One of the weekends new films. Didnt do too bad considering the competition, but opening up a week after "Chicken Little" wasnt going to help it a whole lot either. Not to mention the fact that more of its audience is going to be siphoned away when "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" opens this week. We'll see if this film can hang in there.

3) Derailed, $12.8 Mil: Wow, an adult type film in November. ;-) Not too bad an opening. This was the first film released under the new "Weinstein Co." label founded by Hollywood power hitters (and brothers) Bob and Harvey Weinstein. With so much kid stuff opening up in the next few weeks, this one might just have the market to itself.

4) Get Rich or Die Tryin, $12.5 Mil: "Fitty" didnt do too bad actually. This movie openend on Wed to solid numbers and the $12.5 is really just its weekend take. All together it has taken in $18.3 million.

5) Jarhead. $12.2 Mil: Wow, this one fell hard in its second week. Word of mouth has been mixed on this one and it no doubt affected its box office take this week. Still could do well considering there isnt much 17 and over stuff to watch right now.

 

OK, that will do it for now. Hopefully I can get this thing back on track on a more consistent basis. Thanx to everyone who has been reading and sending the words of encouragment. Til the next time

DQ